1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a quick-action safety coupling for the removable connection of two lines through which a pressurized fluid flows.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Such a quick-action coupling conventionally comprises a male element and a female element able to mate with one inside the other. The female element is generally connected to an upstream line and is provided with a shut-off valve that the male element moves to an open position when it is fully inserted into the female element. The male element is generally connected to a downstream line.
From EP-A-1 006 308 it is known to use a transient retention mechanism for retaining the male element in the female element in order to prevent, during disconnection, the male element from being violently expelled out of the female element owing to the residual pressure of the fluid in the downstream line. The transient retention mechanism for retaining the male element in the female element is designed so as to be able to fully release the male element only after it has been temporarily placed in a position in which the downstream line is purged via the coupling.
However, in this known device, disconnecting the coupling requires two manual operations of an external sleeve in order to pass in succession from the mated configuration to the transient retention configuration and then from the transient retention configuration to the disconnected configuration. These successive operations require the operator to wait between the two actions.